diff --git a/src/CrossPointState.cpp b/src/CrossPointState.cpp
index 232860cd..af8bdda5 100644
--- a/src/CrossPointState.cpp
+++ b/src/CrossPointState.cpp
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ bool CrossPointState::loadFromBinaryFile() {
   if (version >= 2) {
     serialization::readPod(inputFile, lastSleepImage);
   } else {
-    lastSleepImage = 0;
+    lastSleepImage = UINT8_MAX;
   }
 
   if (version >= 3) {
diff --git a/src/CrossPointState.h b/src/CrossPointState.h
index 35a9a871..1de89838 100644
--- a/src/CrossPointState.h
+++ b/src/CrossPointState.h
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #pragma once
+#include <cstdint>
 #include <iosfwd>
 #include <string>
 
@@ -8,7 +9,7 @@ class CrossPointState {
 
  public:
   std::string openEpubPath;
-  uint8_t lastSleepImage;
+  uint8_t lastSleepImage = UINT8_MAX;  // UINT8_MAX = unset sentinel
   uint8_t readerActivityLoadCount = 0;
   bool lastSleepFromReader = false;
   ~CrossPointState() = default;
diff --git a/src/JsonSettingsIO.cpp b/src/JsonSettingsIO.cpp
index 4a563142..a0458043 100644
--- a/src/JsonSettingsIO.cpp
+++ b/src/JsonSettingsIO.cpp
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ bool JsonSettingsIO::loadState(CrossPointState& s, const char* json) {
   }
 
   s.openEpubPath = doc["openEpubPath"] | std::string("");
-  s.lastSleepImage = doc["lastSleepImage"] | (uint8_t)0;
+  s.lastSleepImage = doc["lastSleepImage"] | (uint8_t)UINT8_MAX;
   s.readerActivityLoadCount = doc["readerActivityLoadCount"] | (uint8_t)0;
   s.lastSleepFromReader = doc["lastSleepFromReader"] | false;
   return true;
diff --git a/src/activities/boot_sleep/SleepActivity.cpp b/src/activities/boot_sleep/SleepActivity.cpp
index 0b2c1825..d6a566df 100644
--- a/src/activities/boot_sleep/SleepActivity.cpp
+++ b/src/activities/boot_sleep/SleepActivity.cpp
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ void SleepActivity::renderCustomSleepScreen() const {
       // Generate a random number between 1 and numFiles
       auto randomFileIndex = random(numFiles);
       // If we picked the same image as last time, reroll
-      while (numFiles > 1 && randomFileIndex == APP_STATE.lastSleepImage) {
+      while (numFiles > 1 && APP_STATE.lastSleepImage != UINT8_MAX && randomFileIndex == APP_STATE.lastSleepImage) {
         randomFileIndex = random(numFiles);
       }
       APP_STATE.lastSleepImage = randomFileIndex;